Named “K’gari” by its original inhabitants, the Butchulla people, Fraser Island is truly “Paradise”. Located on Australia’s eastern Queensland coast, about 350km north of Brisbane, Fraser Island is the world’s largest sand island, measuring 123km long and 22km across at its widest point.

Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Centre in 1992, Fraser Island is a true natural paradise, home to 250 km of sandy beaches, more than 100 freshwater lakes, majestic pine forests rising from the sand, and excellent beach fishing.

Best of all, there are no sealed roads on the island, making it the ultimate 4WD beach destination!

There’s evidence of Fraser Island being inhabited possibly as far back as 20,000 years ago. Ancient Aboriginal lore say that the great god Beeral transformed a beautiful fairy named K’gari into the island, endowing her with Nature’s bounty of animals, people, trees, and flowers.

In more recent times, the first European to discover Fraser Island was Captain Cook in 1770. He originally called it the “Great Sandy Peninsula”, not realising that it was actually an island.

Thankfully, much of Fraser Island’s natural beauty on both land and sea has been protected and preserved, thanks in part to its UNESCO inscription as well as its location within the Great Sandy National Park and Great Sandy Marine Park. Today, this 1,840 km2 playground is a mecca for nature lovers who come for its pristine wilderness, old-growth forests, and multi-colored sand cliffs.

From Brisbane, head north along the coast to where the Great Barrier Reef begins, and load your Fraser Island 4WD Rental Bush Camper on one of two vehicular ferries: Inskip Point just north of the town of Rainbow Beach in southeast Queensland bound for the southern end of Fraser Island or the 50-minute ferry from River Heads just south of Hervey Bay to Kingfisher Bay on the island’s west coast.

For a posh island getaway, the 4-star Kingfisher Bay Resort offers a day-use option which covers usage of two large swimming pools, volleyball and tennis courts, and walking trails. There are also three restaurants and four bars on-site.

Otherwise, jump off the ferry and waste no time exploring Fraser Island! Many off-roaders will head directly the island’s east coast and famed Seventy-Five Mile Beach where most of the island’s attractions are located.

From there, jump on the island’s many thrilling 4WD tracks and explore the mind-blowing array of outdoor activities on offer. While there are no sealed roads on Fraser Island, the de facto “highway” is the famed Seventy-Five Mile Beach on the island’s east coast. However, be prepared to share this long stretch of track with small aircraft which use the beach as a runway.

As Fraser Island’s “highway”, the beach speed limit here is 80 kph although you’ll need to exercise some caution as Seventy-Five Mile Beach doubles as a runway for small aircraft. You’ll also need to be aware of beach driving conditions where soft sand, deep washouts, and pools created as the tide recedes can bog your vehicle down. It’s best practice to travel within two hours either side of low tide when the sand is firmest. Enjoy peace of mind with Fraser Island 4WD Rental’s low-range and high clearance vehicles, perfect for conquering the island’s rough tracks and tricky sand conditions.

In a cautious move against rollovers caused by top-heavy vehicles traveling at high speeds, the Queensland Government now has measures in place to restrict anything from being loaded on roof racks, including Roof Top Tents (RTT’s), with violators subject to on-the-spot fines.

To comply with this regulation, Fraser Island 4WD Rental has a number of options available. Day trippers or those travelling light, perhaps staying at one of the island’s resorts and lodges, can opt for a Jeep, while our Bush Campers with Ground Tent (GT) set-up are ideal for the island’s wide range of camp sites.

Among our most popular options:

Small 4WD Jeep – best suited for couples without camping gear who want a soft travel option

Starting on the northern end of Seventy-Five Mile Beach, the bubbly Champagne Pools are definitely worth a visit. Waves wash over volcanic rock and into shallow pools, creating a fun frothy mix that makes for excellent Instagram-worthy shots. Access to the pools is via a 350m-long boardwalk and down a set of stairs. Another bonus for the Champagne Pools is that due to strong currents and large sharks, this is the only place on Fraser Island where saltwater swimming is permitted. Make a day of it by bringing a picnic lunch to enjoy right on the beach or on the cliffs. Or stay at the nearby Waddy Point campgrounds to arrive early before the day trippers. The campground has comfortable facilities including flush toilets, hot showers and campfire rings. There are tent sites on the beach as well as in designated fenced-in areas.

Other attractions in close proximity to Waddy Point include Indian Head, a volcanic promontory so-named by Captain Cook as he sailed by and saw Aboriginal campfires on the outcrop as well as Binngih Sandblow where a hike up the shifting dune is rewarded with sweeping vistas across the headland.

Heading south, you’ll next hit Wungul Sandblow, one of Fraser Island’s many mobile sand dunes. It’s said that Fraser’s dunes are some of the “longest and most complete age sequence of coastal dune systems in the world”, possibly dating back 800,000 years. The island’s 43 sandblows are slowly but constantly formed, moved, and re-formed by the winds, taking up to 60,000 years for a single grain of sand to move from one coast to the other. The vantage point from Wungul Sandblow affords uninterrupted views of Fraser’s scenic coastline.

Nearby Rainbow Gorge is home to giant sand dunes dotted with low-lying scrub. Grab a board and enjoy the sandy slopes. You’ll also notice that the sand on Fraser Island comes in up to 72 red, orange, brown and yellow hues, thanks to iron-rich minerals. See these magnificent colours in all their glory at the dome-shaped Pinnacles, located on Cathedral Beach, a sacred site to the original Butchella people. This site is especially favoured by photographers, as the changing light throughout the day picks up different colours in the sand.

Just south of the Pinnacles is the SS Maheno Wreck. A 5,000-ton, steel-hulled Scottish ocean liner sold for scrap at the end of her commercial life, the Maheno was being towed to a wrecking yard when a cyclone forced it ashore in 1935 where it remains to this day. At low tide, the entire ship is exposed. While you can’t climb aboard, its rusty skeleton makes for dramatic photos against the pale blue waters of the Coral Sea.

The long coast along Seventy-Five Mile Beach is also an angler’s paradise for its world-class beach fishing, especially at Sandy Cape, Waddy Point, Indian Head, and Middle Rocks. While sharks, swallowtail, tuna, and mackerel are found year-round, it’s the exciting Tailor Run which brings fishing enthusiasts from near and far. From August to October, these aggressive fish arrive in great numbers to breed. Load up your surf rod onto your Fraser Island 4WD Rental Bush Camper and get ready to battle the “TayTay”, especially when the tide comes in at dusk. Fraser’s many creeks and rivers are also teeming with fish, in particular mangrove jack and bream.

Once you’re done travelling up and down the island’s “highway”, it’s time to head inland to explore Fraser’s more than 100 freshwater lakes, Australia’s second highest concentration behind Tasmania. Nature lovers will delight in its distinct ecosystems ranging from wet and dry eucalyptus groves and mangroves to subtropical forests rising up from the sand. The secret to the island’s verdant beauty is likely its 15 million mega litres of ground water hidden underneath the dunes in its dome-shaped water table, 30 times the volume of Sydney Harbour.

Fraser Island has three types of freshwater lakes: window, perched and barrage. There are 40 perched dune lakes (half the world’s total), formed when organically cemented sand forms over a depression in the ground. These lakes are almost entirely fed by rainwater, making them incredibly clear and clean. While almost too pure to sustain animal life due to high acidity levels combined with low nutrient levels, they are great for swimming.

Two of the Fraser’s most popular perched dune lakes are Lake Boomanjin and Lake McKenzie. At 200 hectares, Boomanjin is the world’s largest perched lake, known for its shallow, naturally tannin-stained water. Picnic areas and flush toilets make it a great spot for a family outing. Lake McKenzie is more traditionally beautiful, with transparent blue water, gleaming white sand, and surrounded by lush forest. This “Jewel of Fraser Island” is located between the two ferry drop-off points, making it an easily accessible attraction down a 100m path and some steps. McKenzie supports turtles and fish, so bring along your mask and snorkel and stay for a picnic in the fenced barbeque area. Other notable perched lakes include Boomerang (the world’s highest at 130m above sea level), tea-coloured Basin Lake, and secluded Lake Bowarrady near the island’s highest point, 244m Mt Bowarrady.

Barrage lakes are formed when wind blows a sand dune into the path of a flowing creek or stream, while window lakes occur when the ground drops below the water table. Lake Wabby, just east of Lake McKenzie, is a great example of both a window and a barrage lake created by the movement of Hammerstone Sandblow. At over 11m deep, it’s Fraser’s deepest dune lake. Take the 50-minute walk from Seventy-Five Mile Beach or drive to the Look Out Car Park and take the shorter 1.5km-long hike to the lake. Lake Wabby is unique in that its deep emerald waters are home to 12 species of fish including the catfish, rainbow fish, and the rare honey blue-eye.

Fraser not only has freshwater lakes but also a handful of freshwater streams and creeks, the largest of which is Eli Creek on the island’s east coast. Located near the Maheno wreck, Eli Creek has some of the world’s purest water, originating from a spring and filtered through the sand over many, many years. It’s also fast-flowing, discharging over four million litres of water onto Seventy-Five Mile Beach every hour. An ideal spot for swimming and picnicking, walk along the scenic boardwalk past flowering plants to reach the inland creek, looking out for native wildlife on the way, including kingfishers, frogs, and even the famed Fraser Island dingoes.

In fact, Fraser’s diverse ecosystems both on land and in the water are home to a unique range of animal and plant life. You’ll find close to 50 mammal species, nearly 80 reptile species, and more than 300 bird species on the island. Wildlife enthusiasts will be happy to know that many marine animals call the waters around Fraser home, including loggerhead turtles, Bryde’s whales and several species of dolphin like the Indo-Pacific dolphins, bottlenose and pelagic bottlenose. Between July and November, a large number of humpback and minke whales swim past the island on their way to feeding areas in Antarctica. Inland near the Pinnacles is Lake Allom, also known as Turtle Lake, where visitors can observe or even swim with hundreds of Kreff’s river turtles.

While beautiful Fraser Island is great for a short getaway, there’s plenty to do on the island on an extended trip. Bushwalkers will want to explore the island’s 180 km or so of trails, including the Fraser Island Great Walk, one of Australia’s epic outdoor hikes. The 90km-long, Grade 4 trail can be done in a week or so, following ancient Aboriginal trails, logging roads and tramlines. As your reward, experience the ever-changing landscape from ground level and away from the crowds as you walk through coastal wallum to woodlands and subtropical rainforest. While there are walkers’ camps and overnight camping spots where water is available, expect to be fully self-sufficient along the route.

For something a little less arduous but still rewarding, the 12km walk from Lake McKenzie to Lake Wabby or the scenic 1hr-long walk from Central Station to Wanggoolba Creek are both highly recommended.

Take your time exploring all that Fraser has to offer during the day and feel right at home at night by parking your Fraser Island 4WD Rental Bush Camper at one of the island’s 45 camp sites and setting up your Ground Tent. There is a wide range of sites to choose from, including beach camping on both the eastern and western coasts as well as very secluded spots with no facilities where a portable chemical toilet, fuel stove and treating any available water before drinking is recommended. If travelling with children under 14, there are fenced camping areas against the island’s dingoes at Central Station, Dundubara and Waddy Point.

Whether coming just for the day or spending a week or more, Fraser Island is the ultimate natural getaway. From wind-swept beaches with world-class fishing to refreshing dips in crystal clear emerald and turquoise lakes, Fraser is remains a modern-day K’gari or “paradise”.

Stay in an eco-friendly resort where you can indulge in massages, cocktails and restaurant meals. Or enjoy the privacy of a beach front home surrounded by bush land and wildlife. You’ll also find hotels and self-contained villas with hinterland and sea views. To really commune with nature, pitch your tent at a campsite at Central Station, Lake Boomanjin, Lake McKenzie, Dundubara, Waddy Point, Wathumba, Dilli Village or Cathedral Beach. Or find a spot of sandy solitude on the eastern beach.

National Parks and Camping Sites National Parkshave serviced camp areas, many with onsite rangers, designated powered and unpowered sites, fresh water, toilets and shower facilities. These areas may have restrictions on length of stay and park fees may apply. See the Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing website for more information about national park camping sites and fees. There can be huge distances between townships so you may have to camp on private properties or Aboriginal Lands, make sure you obtain permission and permits before entering the area. Some roads are not suitable for towing a caravan and there are camping restrictions in certain areas. Please check road conditions and permit requirements with the local Parks Management before you set off on your journey.

For more travel advice, visit DMR.qld.gov.au

Fraser Island 4WD Rental Welcomes you to explore one of the most pristine places on the planet.

Fraser Island 4WD Rental is part of Australian 4WD Hire, a nationwide network of premium rental agencies strategically positioned in close proximity to all famous 4WD destinations and hotspots as well as major regional and capital cities throughout Australia, ensuring you’re never far from a pick-up point.

Australian 4WD Hire is renowned for our meticulously maintained vehicles and top-tier customer service. Our fleet is constantly being updated to ensure you enjoy your self-drive adventure in comfort and safety. 4WD Tourism is one of the best ways to see the broad range of amazing sights Australia has to offer, with the flexibility and freedom to discover the outdoors at your own pace. For your Fraser Island 4WD Rental adventure, please contact us at 1300 360 339 or +61 7 5527 6191. Or email us at sales@australian4wdhire.com.au or visit us at www.australian4wdhire.com.au